Venetian blind



(No Model.)

W. H. LANG.

7 VENETIAN BLIND. N0. 322,732 Patented July 21, 1885.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

\YILLIAM H. LANG, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

VENETIAN BLIND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,732, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed August 30, 1884. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern 5 Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. LANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Ghittenden and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Operating Venetian Blinds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to improve the mode of operating Venetian blinds or shades to windows and similar openings; and it consists in the construction of the operating parts and their connection with a folding blind, as will be fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a part front View of a blind, its attachment to a casing or'frame, and its operating parts. Fig. 2 represents a transverse view of the same on line a: w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a side view of one of the hangers witha circular projection for the spring-roller to be attached to. Fig. 4 represents a side view of the opposite hanger with aprojecting lug for the springroller friction devices to be held in, and an end View of the friction device upon the roller. Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the spring-roller,its construction, and its internal operating-spring; and Fig. 6 represents the construction of parts in detail.

A represents the casing, which may be for a window or for any similar opening for which a blind is or may be needed or used.

B B represent the hangers or brackets, made fast to the head-casing by the angle projections b b and screws 1)" and b. Hangers or brackets B B have circular projections B at their lower ends,with each around hole, 'bflcentrally through it to receive holding-screws that hold them to the head-casing.

G is a circulai projection upon one edge of hanger B, and is to sustain a severed frictionring that supports and holds one end of a spring-roller.

C is a similar projection upon the edge of hanger B, having a rectangular hole, 0, centrally therein to receive and hold the end of a rod, and thereby prevent it from revolving, and also to sustain the other end of a springroller.

D is ahorizontal roller of a length to freely central hole, 01, in the head to allow the fixed shaft, around which the coiled spring is wound,

to pass, and so that the roller can be revolved.

d is a nut on the central shaft of roller D, to hold it in place with relation to the shaft and hangers, as seen in Fig. 5. The horizontal roller D has a central longitudinal bore, D, nearly its whole length from that end next to the hanger B.

E is ashaft in the center of the bore D, with its inner end secured centrally in a plug, E, at the terminus of the bore D in the roller. This plug E has its innermost part, e, of a a diameter to closely fit in the bore D of roller D, and that part, 6, that receives the shaft and the coiled spring is of less diameter, as seen in Fig. 5. Shaft E extends outward in bore D and through head d, terminating in a rectangular tenon, c, to fit into hole 0 in hanger B. When so fitted in said hole a shaft E will be prevented from revolving.

F is a coiled spring, its inner end secured in the plug E, thence coiled around the shaft E in such manner as to be less in diameter than the bore D in roller D until it nears the outer end, or that end of the shaft toward the hanger B, when its end is secured to shaft E by turning the end thereof into a hole, 6, in said shaft, or by permanently securing it to the shaft in any other way to prevent it from wholly turning when the roller D revolves.

G is the upper oscillating hanging slat, and it is suspended at its ends between the hangers B B by means of screws G, that have round bodies 9 to turn in holesb iu the hangers, and square parts 9 (of the thickness of the convex spring-washers G", to fit the square holes 9 through them) next their heads, as seen in Fig. 6. When thus constructed and fitted, the

and the slat is free to be oscillated. This construction of screw, convex spring-washer, and the hanger causes the screw and washer to escillate with the hanger-slat, and thereby the friction between the convex spring-washer and the hanger will be at the outer edge of the washer, and consequently less pressure by the screw is required than if the washer was flat, as all the friction is farther removed from the screw or center of motion.

H H are mortises in the slat G, to allow the folding-cords to pass through and suspend the folding slats of the blind.

H H are the folding and turning slats, ,of which there may be any number, according to height of window or opening.

h h' are transverse mortises through the slats H, to allow the suspending-cords to pass through the whole series of slats and to prevent too great longitudinal movement of'the slats.

h h are tapes securely fastened at their top ends to the edges of the upper slat, G, at both front and rear edges, and of equal distance from each end, and are then fastened to the underside of the lowest or bottom slat of the series; and h h are narrow cross-tapes, sewed to tapes h, and on the insides thereof of such length as to allow the slats H to rest upon them and be equidistant apart, so that by pulling down upon tapes h on the front the slats will all fall or tip at their front edges,

' and by lifting up the tapes the position of the slats will be changed or reversed.

I I are the folding-cords. They are fastened to and at proper distances from the ends of roller D, to pass near the outside ends of mortises H in slat G, thence downward through all the mortises h in the folding slats H to the under side of the lower slat, where they can be united and a pulling-tassel attached, if necessary; or one end of along cord may be made fast to the roller D, then pass through the mortises h in the slats to the lower one, then under the slat and up through the mortises it near the other end of the slats to the winding-roller D, and then be attached thereto the same as the first end was.

J is a looped cord for causing the spring F to fold up the slats H when necessary.

, J is a separated or slit metal spring circu- /lar in form, but slit or cut transversely across at t, Fig. 4, and of such diameter as to tightly embrace the metal ferrule d on the end of roller D so tight that it will more than overbalance the weight of the blind and the power stored in the coiled spring. This spring-ferrule is secured at a single point to the bracket or hanger B, and at one side of the slit near 1', and may be so fixed by solder when the blind is light; but for heavier blinds a bent i is an eye made fast to the spring J and on the opposite side of the slit *5 in the spring from the metal stay 1'.

2" t are eyes, one fast to each top or upper edge of the upper slat, G.

jj are knots in cord J, so arranged that if a pull is made upon cord J that the knot j will engage the under side of the eye 3'' and cause the spring J to open, freeing the ferrule d on the roller D from friction, the blind being at that time drawn down to its lowest point, causing the coiled spring to be coiled tight or coiled up in the act of so drawing down the blind. The force or power in the spring F now being free, it causes the revolution of the roller D to quickly revolve,

which winds the cords I around the roller D,

and thus folds the slats H up against the slat G in a compact manner or side to side of the slats H.

This construction of means for operating Venetian blinds can be applied to curtains and shades without departing in any way from the principles of the invention above described.

I lay no claim, broadly, to a roller operated by a spring to rolla curtain around such roller, as such device for that purpose is well known; nor do I claim, broadly, a slitted friction-ring that is not released from continual friction, and only when used in connection with other devices, as described; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letter Patent, is-

1. In a folding Venetian blind, the hanger B, having the angular projection 1), solid roller projection 0, having attached thereto the slitted friction-spring J, the enlarged circular lower end, B, having a round screw-hole, b, therein, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a folding'Venetian blind, the hanger B, having the angular projection b, circular lower end, B, having a round hole, 6*, and solid roller projection 0, having a rectangular hole, 0, centrally therein, in combination with the tenon c on shaft E, to prevent said shaft from revolving, substantially as described.

3. The screw G, having a round body, 9, and square part g, the convex spring-washer G, having a square hole, 9, centrally through it to fit upon the square part 9 of screw G, the round part of which passes through the round hole I)" of hanger B, in combination with an'oscillating slat, G, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM H. LANG.

\Vitnesses:

SAML. G. DREW, W. E. MARSH.

ICC 

